Combined water and steam gage



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I. WILLAN. COMBINED WATER AND STEAM GAGE.

N0. 480,309. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I. WILLAN.

COMBINED WATER AND STEAM GAGE.

No. 480,309. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC WILLAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED WATER AND STEAM GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,309, dated August 9, 1892.

Application filed February 12, 1892. Serial No, 421,346. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC WILLAN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Combined Lowater Alarm and Water and Steam Gage; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates particularly to certain new and useful improvements in a combined low-water alarm and water and steam gage, and has for its object to provide a simple, economical, and efficient device whereby the state of the water in a boiler will be accu' rately and closely indicated, and whereby also, if desired, an alarm will be sounded when the water is low. I do not, however, limit my invention to use in boilers alone, as it may be used as a water fluid-gage with water-tanks and for similar uses.

My invention consists of the devices and appliances, their construction, combination, and arrangement, as hereinafter explained and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view, partly in vertical section and partly in front elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail View of the gage with the cover removed, showing the interior construction and adjacent features in section. Fig.3 is a cross-section through the gage.

I carry out myinvention as follows: A represents a boiler.

13 is a float located within the boiler to rise and fall with the changes of water level therein.

is an arm extending through the boiler, preferably tubular at its upper end, and supporting thereupon a water-gage D. IVrthm the gage I locate a spring-case D, provided with a coiled spring D and preferably with a cover-plate (Z to close the spring-chamber within the case to protect the spring and exclude steam and moisture from the chamber in order to prevent the corrosion of the spring. The case D of the gage D is provided with a rigid hub d extending into the case D, the

said case D being rotatable thereon, one end of the spring being engaged therewith. The opposite end of the spring is engaged with the case D. D is a shaft rigidly engaged with the case D, as at (P, said shaft rotatable through said hub, and bearing thereupon an index-finger d. The front of the case is formed with a dial D asshown in Fig. 1, around which the index-finger travels. The spring-case is firmly engaged to the shaft D to rotate therewith. The outer circumference.

of the spring-case is preferably grooved, as shown at (1 to carry a chain E, engaged and wound thereupon. A retaining cross-bar 61 may be engaged over the case D to the case D. The chain E extends from the spring-case down through the arm O and is connected with the float. To this end the float is provided with a yoke B, to which the chain is attached. The float, with its yoke 13, has a movable relation to the arm 0, said arm having a stationary engagement in the shell of the boiler. For this purpose the lower end of the arm 0 is constructed with an elongated guide-slot 0, through which the yoke passes, so as to move up and down freely in said slot as the float rises and falls. Above the upper end of said slot, preferably, the arm is provided with an open chamber (3 to allow the passage of steam into and through the tubular arm, as indicated at the arrows in Fig. 1. It is designed to give to the spring in the spring-case simply sufficient tension to rotate thespringcase to take up the slack of the chain engaged therewith and connected with the float.

The features now explained constitute an efficient water-gage.

My invention also contemplates, however, the provision of alow-wateralarm also, which I accomplish by suitably attachinga whistle F to the water-gage. As shown, the whistle is supported upon the water-gage by an intervening valve-case G, with which the whistle mechanism communicates, the valve-case also having communication, as shown at g, with the interior of the water-gage, said communication controlled by a valve H, which may be arranged to close said communication. As illustrated herewith, the valve is connected upon the end of a weighted lever-arm J, fulcrumed, as at j, to the case of the gage, the lever-arm when in normal position closing the valve. The springcase is provided with a pin or stop at, which upon sufficient rotation of the spring-case will strike against thelower end of the lever-arm J, and thereby throw down its upper end thus unseating the valve. This will take place when the water is too low. The opening of the valve II will admit steam to the whistle and so sound an alarm at low water.

In order to test the working of the device I prefer to so construct the valve as to provide an outside connection therewith. This may be done by providing the valve with a valvestem 11, extending upward into the valvecase G, and forming the stem with a downwardly projecting arm h, extending through the valve-case to the exterior. A spring h surrounds the arm h to aid in holding the valve in closed position. With the outer end of said stem I connect a cord or cable 1, whereby the valve may be opened at will to sound the whistle. To the water-gage I also contemplate attaching a steam-gage K. The steam-gage may be of any desired construction and is supported upon the case of the water-gage D by one or more intervening pipes L, communicating with the water-gage and steam-gage, whereby steam may pass to the steam-gage. The dial of the water-gage may be provided with a dangerpoint marked thereon, as shown in Fig. 1. When the dial-finger reaches that point the attendant can see the fact as well as hear the alarm.

E denotes a pulley over which the chain is passed.

The operation of the device is as follows: With the lowering of the water in the boiler the float descends, thereby pulling down the chain connected therewith and rotating the springcase, upon which the chain is wound. This moves the dial-finger about the dial-plate and indicatesveryminutelythe degree to which the water has lowered in the boiler. As the water pass to the whistle.

steam-gage will be understood, since, except the method of its combinationwith other parts of the device, it is of any ordinary construction.

It will be seen that the device is very sensitive and accurate in its operation and is not liable to get out of order. Any other flexible connection can be used in place of the chain, if preferred.

That I claim as my invention is 1. The combination of the arm 0, provided with the slot 0, the float provided with the yoke 13, passed through said slot, a watergage provided with a rotatable spring-case carrying an index-finger, and a flexible connection connecting said case and yoke, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the float, the watergage, a steam-gage communicating with the water-gage, the arm C, communicating with the interior of the water-gage, whereby steam may pass to said gage, a rotatable spring-case located in the watei gagecase, carrying an index-finger,anda flexible connection connected with the spring-case and float, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the float, the arm C, made tubular at its upper end,thewater-gage provided with a rotatable spring-case, connected with the float, alarm mechanism communicating with the interior of said gage, and a controlling-valve operated by the movement of the spring-case, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the float, the arm 0, made tubular at its upper end, the water-gage provided with a rotatable spring-case, connected with the float, alarm mechanism communicating with the interior of said gage, and a self-closing controlling-valve arranged to be opened by the movement of said case, said valve provided with avalve-stem project ing to the exterior, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC WILLAN. Witnesses;

N. S. WRIGHT, JOHN F. MILLER. 

